Track & Field

Theresa Fuqua
Theresa Fuqua

Position:
Head Cross Country Coach
Experience:
12th season
Alma Mater:
Houston, 1989

Named the 2004 Conference USA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year, Theresa Fuqua is in her 12th season at the University of Houston where she is the head cross country coach and an assistant coach with the track team.

Last fall, Fuqua led the Cougar women's cross country team to a 10th place finish at the C-USA Championships and the men to a fifth place finish. Sesar Figueroa would go on to finish 11th at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships to qualify for the NCAA Championship Meet.

In 2004, Fuqua guided the Cougars to its first conference championship since 1960. Figueroa also earned All-Conference USA honors and was named to the NCAA All-South Central Region team in 2005.

The Cougars had three All-Conference USA performers in 2004. They were Figueroa, the C-USA Cross Country Runner of the Year, Tyler Stanfield and Derek Yorek. Stanfield earned First Team honors after he finished as the runner-up at the C-USA meet and Yorek was a Second Team selection after placing sixth. Figueroa finished in 12th place to earn Third Team honors, and was a NCAA All-South Central Regional performer.

In 2003, Fuqua tutored All-Conference USA Cross Country runners, Cole Dailey and Figueroa. In her first season as men's coach, Mike Olague qualified for the 2002 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Fuqua also guided the women's cross country team to a fourth place finish at the 2002 C-USA Cross Country Championships and a seventh place finish at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships. She has coached a trio of women's All-Conference USA performers. They were Emma Lindblom in 1999, Jackie Rzepecki in 1998 and Stacy Poole in 1997.

In addition to coaching the men's and women's cross country teams, Fuqua coaches Houston's men's and women's middle distance and distance corps throughout the indoor and outdoor track and field campaigns.

Last season, she coached Jennifer Hunt to a third place finish in the 800 meters at the outdoor championships. Fuqua also coached a consistent top 10 finisher in Figueroa in the distance events during his senior season.

In 2004, Figueroa won the mile race at the C-USA Indoor Championships, and Olague was the 5,000-meter champion in 2003. Fuqua also has coached three C-USA track and field individual champions and a distance medley relay team in the women's division. She tutored 1998 Conference USA indoor and outdoor 800 meter champion Vernetta Rolle and 2000 indoor mile champion Dawn Charlier. In addition, Houston won the distance medley relay at the 1998 C-USA Indoor Championships.

Fuqua came to UH in 1995 after serving six years as the head cross country coach and assistant track coach at Episcopal High School. She was named Episcopal's Teacher of the Year in 1993-94 and directed Episcopal's girl's track team to two straight SPC state track and field championships in 1992 and 1993.

A record-setting distance runner at Houston, Fuqua was a four-time All-American, two-time cross country MVP and two-time track and field MVP. She holds the current UH records in the indoor mile, and the outdoor 800 and 1,500 meters. In 1988, Fuqua qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 800 and 1,500 meter events.

She received a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Foods from UH in 1989 and is pursuing a Master's in Sports Administration.

Fuqua and her husband, Jerry, are co-owners of RunSport, Inc., a running specialty store, and they have a son, Miles.

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